Lightning News

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Chase have partnered to introduce a revamped Street Lightning program which began today at the West Tampa Boys & Girls Club. Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone, along with executives from the Lightning, Chase, the Boys & Girls Club of Tampa Bay as well as more than 100 children, participated in the kick-off of the program.

Street Lightning provides students in the Tampa Bay area the opportunity to learn the basic elements of hockey, how to play the game and also help children experience math and science concepts when playing the game. Through the program, Chase and the Lightning will donate full sets of street hockey gear for participating students to play in their free time and during school hours. Participants also will be given Street Lightning Playbooks with math and science concepts they can apply to their game experience. The program will roll out to select Bay area Boys & Girls Clubs in 2014.

Working with Hillsborough County Public Schools, the program combines the Lightning’s expertise in hockey with math and science-based drills such as calculating game stats and scores, using distance to plan game strategy, and understanding the impact of the playing surface on scoring a goal. Lessons will be taught by program leaders at each individual location.

“When the Tampa Bay Lightning first partnered with Chase, it was with programs such as Street Lightning in mind,” Lightning chief operating officer Steve Griggs said. “Our community outreach goals are so well-aligned that Chase is an ideal partner for the Street Lightning program. With their help we will be able to introduce the great game of hockey to children who would not have been exposed to it previously, while also supplementing their studies with an educational element.”

“Sports can be a great way to acquire lifelong skills and this partnership will help our youth experience concepts they learn in the classroom in a very dynamic way,” Chase market president for Tampa Dan Borasch said. “Science and math can be fun, and mastering them can give anyone a competitive edge in life and future careers.”

Students that attended the Street Lightning presentation on Monday were from local schools but also those who are enrolled in the Hillsborough County Public Schools Out-of-School Time (H.O.S.T.) program. The goal of H.O.S.T. is to provide the physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth and development which children need in order for them to be successful. After school programs are affordable programs that are held before and after school at 82 elementary schools and 26 middle schools. Both programs offer supervision and a variety of enrichment activities for children, kindergarten through 8th grade and a daily snack is provided. Each program plans daily activities such as homework assistance, academic enrichment, art, crafts, and games, outside games and fields trips.